The highly promising and innovative tracer on 111In-DTPA-AHX-Lys40-Exendin 4 has been applied
to determine beta cell mass in healthy volunteers and patients with type 1 diabetes. However,
the high retention of the tracer in the kidneys was leading to a kidney/pancreas uptake ratio
of 41±23. This high renal uptake is complicating absolute BCM quantification by SPECT
imaging. In order to reduce the kidney/pancreas uptake ratio, investigators propose a
co-infusion with the plasma expander Gelofusine since it has been shown in several
pre-clinical and clinical studies that Gelofusine can reduce the renal retention of several
other, closely related tracers. When investigators are able to reduce the kidney/pancreas
uptake ratio, these findings will improve the interpretation of clinical quantitative SPECT,
having important implications for therapeutic decision making for patients with diabetes,
insulinomas or congenital hyperinsulinism, and may also have a major impact on our
understanding of the pathophysiology of these diseases.